A ROMAN Catholic priest was subjected to racial abuse by a group of drunken Asian teenagers when he asked them not to loiter near his church.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Father Francis Parkinson had previously had problems with teenagers hanging around the car park at St Joseph's on Audley Range and had complained to the Lancashire Council of Mosques and the local councillor.

And while they had been receptive to his plight and the problem had abated, the juvenile nuisance had returned.

Adhnan Bhegani, 19, of Brunel Walk, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to using racially aggravated threatening behaviour.

He was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £50 costs.

Neil White, prosecuting, said St Joseph's was a Catholic Church in an area mainly populated by people of the Muslim faith.

"He says that for some time he has been subjected to harassment by youths who go behind the church to drink because it is hidden away," said Mr White.

"He had sought and received the help of the Lancashire Council of Mosques and a local councillor but the problem has returned." Mr White said on the night of the incident Father Parkinson drove home after a meeting and when he pulled on to the car park saw four or five Asian teenagers standing near the entrance to the church house.

"He didn't get out of his car because he was worried there might be some trouble," said Mr White.

"He wound down his window and asked them to leave and the defendant immediately became aggressive.

"This was the culmination of a number of incidents," said Mr White.

When arrested Bhegani accepted he had been drunk at the time.

Basharat Ditta said the words "tolerance, compassion and understanding" were key to the kind of unpleasant incident outlined to the court.

"In a multi-cultural society those are the things we need," said Mr Ditta.

He said Bhegani had not been involved in the earlier incidents and had it not been for the previous problems Father Parkinson may have shrugged the incident off.

"It cannot be condoned, and hopefully this appearance in court will send out the message to other youths that we must have tolerance, understanding and compassion," he added.